Assessment of Quality of Some Laterites in Northeastern Nigeria by Multivariate Analysis of their Geotechnical Index Pro
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Original Paper
Assessment of Quality of Some Laterites in Northeastern Nigeria by Multivariate Analysis of their Geotechnical Index Properties Celestine Obialo Okogbue,1 Okechukwu Pius Aghamelu ,2,4 and Suleiman Magaji3 Received 30 September 2019; accepted 5 February 2020
The index properties of lateritic soils derived from sandstone, limestone, gneiss, granite, basalt, and migmatite in northeastern Nigeria were assessed for selecting the type with the best engineering potentials. The laboratory test results indicate that the tested samples comprised predominantly sand-sized particles (58–88%), with clay fraction (2–12%) of low to moderate plasticity (liquid limit, LL 35–49 and plasticity index, PI 12–24). Other geotechnical properties are as follows: natural water content (Wn), specific gravity (SG) 2.51–2.68, maximum dry density (MDD) 1.69–2.05 mg/m3, and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) 20–43 kPa. Principal component analysis reveals three significant factors. The first factor has loadings from clay, LL, PI, Wn, and SG, indicating impacts that are mineralogical and particulate constituent related. The second has loadings from gravel, MDD, and UCS and indicates textural influence, while the third factor has loadings from silt and sand, thus, reveals textural impact. The analysis of variance result reveals a significant difference in dataset, while cluster analysis indicates three different sample clusters, with a granite laterite sample representing the central object of the first cluster and sandstone and limestone laterite samples representing central objects of the second and third clusters, respectively. Comparatively, the second cluster samples would likely perform best in engineering projects having recorded comparatively the least clay content, lower plasticity, highest SG, MDD, and UCS. Thus, a combination of index properties and multivariate analysis proves a useful tool in the geotechnical prospecting for lateritic soils. KEY WORDS: Construction material, Geotechnical analysis, Laterite, Multivariate analysis, Parent rock lithology.
INTRODUCTION Owing to substantial infrastructural development and high demand for good highway pavement 1
Department of Geology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria. Department of Physics, Geology, and Geophysics, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Nigeria. 3 Department of Civil Engineering, Adamawa State Polytechnic, Yola, Nigeria. 4 To whom correspondence should be addressed; e-mail: [email protected] 2
and road networks, pavements, stable construction platforms, sanitary landfills, and irrigation dams in the Adamawa State of northeastern Nigeria (Fig. 1), construction materials are massively being sourced and utilized. Most of these engineering projects in the state require the use of embankments. Residual lateritic soils are the most utilized soil types for fills and embankment materials in Nigeria and other parts of the tropics (Novais 1985; de Brito Galva˜o et al. 2004; Gogo-Abite 2005) mostly due to their widespread occurrence and economi
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